There are luxury hotels you visit for the suite, the spa or the view. And then there are those that give you stories you'll still be telling years later. One&Only Resorts have mastered both.
Its resorts occupy some of the world's most extraordinary corners, from private Maldivian shores and Mexican rainforest to the Athenian Riviera and volcanic landscapes of Rwanda. But beautiful settings are only the beginning. Look beyond the infinity pools and you'll find experiences designed to pull you deeper into each destination – whether that's swimming alongside marine life, sailing into the sunset or tasting your way through one of the world's great wine regions.
So, where to begin? Consider this our edit of the One&Only experiences worth travelling for.
Swim with turtles at One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives
There are plenty of reasons to stay on dry land at One&Only Reethi Rah. 12 beaches, spectacular villas and an Indian Ocean horizon tend to have that effect. But some of its most memorable moments happen out on the water.
The resort’s waters are home to tropical fish, reef and nurse sharks, while critically endangered Hawksbill turtles can also be encountered in their natural habitat. But for something even more memorable, set sail on a private sunset yacht cruise in search of the Maldives’ resident dolphins.
Watching acrobatic spinner and playful bottlenose dolphins race through the surf alongside your yacht as the sun sets? That’s the sort of Maldives memory no infinity pool alone can compete with.
The experience: Set sail on a private sunset yacht cruise and watch for spinner and bottlenose dolphins playing in the waters around you.
Insider pairing: Combine Dubai and the Maldives for a few high-energy days in the city followed by complete island escapism.
Take to the waves at One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos
Set on Mexico's Baja Peninsula, One&Only Palmilla pairs sweeping ocean views with access to one of Los Cabos' rare swimmable beaches. Add superb restaurants, restorative wellness and days spent exploring the Sea of Cortez, and you have a Mexican escape that feels every bit as glamorous and grown-up as its setting.
There is a sense of occasion here, but never at the expense of relaxation. Spend the morning beside the water, disappear to the spa in the afternoon, then dress for dinner as the sun sinks into the Pacific.
Our advice? Don't spend the entire holiday admiring the sea from shore.
One&Only can arrange private yacht charters along the Los Cabos coastline, complete with an expert crew, refreshments and water toys. Or take things up a notch with a sportfishing expedition before returning for a sea-to-table celebration starring your own catch.
The experience: Charter a private yacht and see the dramatic Baja coastline from its best angle – the water.
Saddle up at One&Only Mandarina, Mexico
If Palmilla is polished Baja glamour, One&Only Mandarina is Mexico turned wonderfully wild.
Hidden amid the coastal rainforest of Riviera Nayarit, this is a resort where nature takes centre stage. Treehouses and villas disappear among the greenery, jungle trails wind towards the Pacific and adventure is never particularly far away.
For an experience that really captures Mandarina’s spirit, head deeper into the rainforest on the Sacred Trees Trek. A guided hike leads you to Los Nietos, a new generation of sacred trees growing alongside La Abuela, an extraordinary tree that has stood here for some 500 years. It’s a chance to discover a quieter, more ancient side of Mandarina – and a landscape that feels a world away from Mexico’s better-known beach resorts.
The experience: Trek through Mandarina’s coastal rainforest to discover its sacred trees, including the 500-year-old La Abuela.
Dine above the city at One&Only One Za'abeel, Dubai
Dubai has never been shy about making an entrance, and neither is One&Only One Za'abeel.
This is One&Only in its urban era: striking architecture, ambitious wellness and some serious culinary credentials. Rather than simply booking dinner, however, make food – and the view – part of the reason you're here.
High above the city, The Link has transformed One Za'abeel into a destination for dining in its own right. Nobu One Za'abeel brings its signature Japanese-Peruvian cooking to the Dubai skyline, while Culinara gathers homegrown culinary concepts into a social dining space 100 metres above the city.
And for perhaps the best vantage point of all, head up to N53. Set on the 53rd floor, this sophisticated lounge pairs drinks and light dining with panoramic views across the Dubai skyline – the perfect spot to watch the city light up after dark.
Come hungry – and leave plenty of time to admire the view.
The experience: Spend an evening dining your way through One Za'abeel, finishing with a drink at N53 and the glittering Dubai skyline as your backdrop.
Chase the sunset at One&Only Aesthesis, Greece
Just outside the Greek capital, One&Only Aesthesis channels the golden-age glamour of the Athenian Riviera through coastal bungalows, alfresco dining and days designed around the Aegean. Its location is its superpower. You can spend one day dipping into Athens' ancient history and thriving restaurant scene and the next doing very little beyond moving between the beach, spa and dinner. But golden hour is when we'd head for the water.
One&Only's Sunset Voyage sails along the Attica coastline as the light begins to soften. Champagne is poured, islands slip into view and a private chef prepares dinner on board.
The experience: Sail the Athenian Riviera at sunset, Champagne in hand, before sitting down to a private dinner at sea.
Insider pairing: Better still, make Greece a two-stop affair. Pair Aesthesis with One&Only Kéa Island, where whitewashed villas, secluded coves and a slower Cycladic rhythm await. The two together make a particularly effortless city-and-island combination.
See Mauritius from above at One&Only Le Saint Géran
Sprawling across its own private peninsula, One&Only Le Saint Géran has been part of the Mauritius story for decades. White-sand beaches, tropical gardens and the Indian Ocean provide plenty of incentive to stay firmly at resort level. But there's another perspective worth seeing.
Take off from the resort's helipad for a helicopter flight over Mauritius, soaring above sugarcane-covered mountains and brilliant blue coastline towards Le Morne. From the air, you'll see the island's famous ‘underwater waterfall’ – an extraordinary optical illusion created by sand and sediment beneath the ocean.
It's one of those occasions when the journey really is the experience.
The experience: Take to the skies by helicopter for a bird's-eye view of Mauritius and its spectacular underwater waterfall illusion.
Blend your own wine at One&Only Cape Town, South Africa
Few city hotels come with a backdrop quite like One&Only Cape Town. Set beside the V&A Waterfront with Table Mountain rising beyond, it combines Cape Town's restaurants, culture and coastline with the ease of a luxury resort.
The suites deserve attention too. Marina Suites pair generous living space with knockout Table Mountain views, while the Island Suites offer a more secluded waterfront setting. But in a city surrounded by some of the world's most celebrated wine regions, it would be remiss not to raise a glass.
The resort offers private tastings and wine-blending masterclasses, allowing you to delve into South African wine without even leaving the property. Of course, we'd never discourage extending the experience with a few days in the Cape Winelands afterwards.
The experience: Try your hand at wine blending before taking your newfound appreciation into the vineyards of the Cape.
Meet the mountain gorillas at One&Only Gorilla's Nest, Rwanda
For proof that One&Only is about far more than beautiful beaches, look to Rwanda.
One&Only Gorilla's Nest offers a very different style of luxury travel – one defined by extraordinary landscapes, wildlife and meaningful encounters with place. Less about how many hours you spend beside a pool and more about the stories you return home telling.
Set on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, the lodge places you within reach of one of Africa's most extraordinary wildlife encounters. Accompanied by expert guides, trek into the Rwandan wild to spend precious time observing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
But the gorillas are only part of the story. Back at the resort, you can learn to distinguish the flavours and aromas of local beans during a Rwandan coffee tasting, explore the forest with a knowledgeable guide or gather around the bonfire to hear stories of the gorilla families. Further afield, visit Handspun Hope to meet the women behind its handmade crafts, or experience the drumming, dancing and traditions of Iby’iwacu Cultural Village.
And for a truly extraordinary Rwandan adventure, pair Gorilla's Nest with One&Only Nyungwe House in the country's southwest. Where Gorilla's Nest is surrounded by volcanic peaks and bamboo forest, Nyungwe House sits on the edge of one of Africa's oldest rainforests, amid a working tea plantation. Together, they reveal two dramatically different sides of Rwanda.
Here, swap gorilla trekking for encounters with chimpanzees and other primates, walks beneath the rainforest canopy and time spent exploring the surrounding tea country. The contrast is exactly what makes combining the two so special: one stay immerses you in Rwanda's volcanic north and its mountain gorillas, while the other introduces you to the lush forests, wildlife and landscapes of the south.
Staying at both transforms a remarkable wildlife trip into a much richer journey through Rwanda. With One&Only's signature style connecting the experience from one property to the next, it's a combination that feels seamless yet wonderfully varied – and makes the journey between them every bit as much a part of the holiday as the lodges themselves.
The experience: Trek through Rwanda's volcanic landscape for a face-to-face encounter with mountain gorillas, then journey south to the ancient rainforest of Nyungwe for chimpanzees, tea plantations and another completely different side of this extraordinary country. Two remarkable One&Only stays, combined into one unforgettable Rwandan adventure.
Sail Boka Bay at One&Only Portonovi, Montenegro
If your ideal European summer involves boats, long lunches beside the water and mountains framing the horizon, One&Only Portonovi deserves your attention.
Set on Boka Bay, the resort brings One&Only glamour to a particularly beautiful stretch of the Adriatic. And while Montenegro's medieval towns and mountainous interior warrant exploring, we'd start on the water.
Spend the day aboard a private yacht, cruising through Boka Bay and discovering historic towns such as Perast and Kotor from the sea. The scenery does most of the talking: calm blue water below, dramatic limestone peaks above and centuries of history dotted along the shoreline.
The experience: Cruise Boka Bay by yacht, stopping to explore the historic waterside towns of Perast and Kotor.
For more reading, discover 22 facts we bet you didn't know about One&Only Portonovi.
Cast into the wild at One&Only Moonlight Basin
Montana's appeal lies in its scale: soaring mountains, dense forests and rivers running through landscapes that still feel genuinely wild. One&Only Moonlight Basin puts you right in the middle of it, with adventure extending far beyond the ski slopes.
The experience we'd travel for is fly fishing. Head out with an expert guide to the Gallatin, Madison or Yellowstone Rivers, where you'll wade into clear mountain waters in search of trout. Whether you're an experienced angler or learning to cast for the first time, it's as much about the setting as the catch – hours spent surrounded by forest, mountains and little else.
That sense of immersion defines Moonlight Basin. Depending on the season, days might also bring horseback riding, hiking, skiing or a journey into Yellowstone National Park, before returning to the resort for an outdoor onsen and the comfort of your cabin.
The experience: standing in the cool Montana water, casting beneath an enormous sky and experiencing the American wilderness at its most peaceful.
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The stay is 'only' the beginning
Perhaps that's the real appeal of One&Only. The resorts are extraordinary, certainly, but increasingly they're also gateways to something bigger.
You can arrive in the Maldives dreaming of an overwater villa and leave talking about the turtle you swam beside. Book Cape Town for its Table Mountain views and discover a new favourite South African wine. Travel to Rwanda for the gorillas and find yourself equally captivated by its forests, culture and people.
And sometimes the best itinerary doesn't stop at one resort. Pair Dubai's restaurants with the beaches of the Maldives; combine Cape Town with the Winelands and safari; or turn Gorilla's Nest and Nyungwe House into one extraordinary Rwandan journey.
Because the best luxury holidays aren't simply about where you stay. They're about what you experience while you're there.
Still deciding? Read on for more inspiration and discover which One&Only is right for you in our comprehensive guide.
Ready to find your One&Only? Contact our team of Personal Travel Managers by calling 0203 816 0985 or submitting an online enquiry, and we'll start planning an exceptional escape designed entirely around you.
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